Los Angeles Angels @ Texas Rangers - April 17, 2025

Alright folks, it’s time for a little MLB preview of the battle brewing tonight between the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. As an Angels fan through and through, I’m itching to see my team snap out of this three-game skid, but I can’t ignore the trends we’ve been witnessing.

First off, let’s talk about pitching. The Angels are rolling out Jack Kochanowicz, who has a 1-1 record and a not-so-great 5.1 ERA this season. While he’s capable of throwing some solid innings, he needs to tighten up if we’re going to break this losing streak. He’ll be up against Kumar Rocker for the Rangers, who brings an 0-2 record and a less-than-ideal ERA of 3.9 into this matchup. The stats seem to favor him on paper despite his win-loss record—he’s showing promise with those strikeout numbers that can keep hitters guessing.

Now let’s shift gears to batting stats because we know that offense wins games! The Angels have been hitting like it’s their job—averaging around 5 runs per game with a solid on-base slugging percentage of nearly 75%. That kind of firepower can put pressure on any pitcher they face! However, in stark contrast, the Rangers have struggled a bit with only about 3 runs per game and a batting average hovering around .205. If the Angels can capitalize early tonight, they could throw Texas off their rhythm.

However—and here comes my bias—I have to admit that the recent form of both teams tells me we might be in trouble tonight. The Rangers are riding high after securing wins over us in our last couple meetings—they took us down at home in their last outing by a score of 3-1! Plus, they’ve been perfect at home lately with five straight wins and five covers against the spread; confidence is key in baseball!

When you look closely at these matchups statistically and how each team is performing as of late—it seems like oddsmakers have done their homework opening up Texas as -141 favorites against us. With them being on such a hot streak at home while we’ve hit some bumps recently? It’s hard not to feel a tad anxious heading into this game.

So what do I expect from this matchup? Well… I’m predicting that Texas will beat us again tonight—sorry fellow Angel fans! And with both teams having shown struggle defensively at times combined with our offensive capability, I’m also anticipating an OVER on that total set at ten runs.

But hey! You never know what can happen in baseball—after all it’s just one game. Let’s hope my boys bring their A-game out there! Go Angels! Keep your fingers crossed—and don’t forget your lucky jersey when tuning in tonight!